Euphorbia milii plant named &#39;Atlas&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new distinct cultivar of  Euphorbia milii  plant named ‘Atlas’, particularly characterized by its compact plant habit; very dense and bushy plant form; moderate growth habit; abundant, large floral cymes with yellow-white bracts and red margins.

GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

[0001]Euphorbia milii Desmoul.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

[0002] Atlas

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofEuphorbia milii plant, botanically known as Euphorbia milii Desmoul.,commonly known as Crown of Thorns and hereinafter referred to by thename ‘Atlas’.

[0004] The new Euphorbia milii is a product of a planned breedingprogram conducted in Haarslev,Fyn, Denmark. The new Euphorbia miliioriginated from a polycross made in 2001 by the Inventor, Steen Thomsen,with unnamed cultivars of Euphorbia milii Desmoul.. The male parent isan unnamed seedling of Euphorbia milii Desmoul. and female parent is anunnamed seedling of Euphorbia lophogona. The Inventor selected the newEuphorbia milii cultivar from the progeny of the above crossing in 2001on the basis of its flower color and compact, freely branching habit.Plants of the new Euphorbia milii are more upright, compact and have aunique color and abundant medium sized flowers.

[0005] Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttingstaken and propagated and trial production batches at HjortebjergNurseries, Denmark, has shown that the unique features of this newEuphorbia milii are stable and reproduced true to type in manysuccessive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Plants of the cultivar ‘Atlas’ have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, daylength, and fertility level without, however, any variance in genotype.

[0007] The following traits have been repeatedly observed and aredetermined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Atlas’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Atlas’ as a new and distinctcultivar:

[0008] 1. Floral colors: Bracts from 158B, yellow-white to 149Dyellow-green with red margins.

[0009] 2. Very dense and bushy plant form.

[0010] 3. Moderately vigorous, cylindrical growth habit; compact planthabit.

[0011] 4. High number of flowers per plant borne on long gray-orangepeduncles 177A

[0012] Plants of the cultivar ‘Atlas’ can be compared to plants of thecultivar Euphorbia milii. ‘Themis’. Side-by-side comparisons conductedby the Inventor in Haarslev, Denmark, of the cultivar ‘Atlas’ and thecultivar ‘Themis’ have shown they differ in the followingcharacteristics:

[0013] 1. Plants of the new Euphorbia milii have striking red color andstaminate cyathia with green, red bordered glands.

[0014] 2. Plants of the new Euphorbia milii have smaller dark greenleaves.

[0015] 3. Plants of the new Euphorbia milii have longer and stifferpeduncles than plants of the cultivar ‘Themis’.

[0016] 4. Plants of the new Euphorbia milii are more compact than theplants of the cultivar ‘Themis’

[0017] 5. Plants of the new Euphorbia milii have more flowers per plantthan the plants of the cultivar ‘Themis’

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

[0018] The accompanying color photographic drawings illustrate theoverall appearance and details of flower form, color and structures ofthe new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description, which more accurately describe theactual colors of the new Euphorbia milii. The first photograph shows aside perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Atlas’ comparedto ‘Themis’ grown in 11 cm pots. The second photograph is a close-up ofthe young and older floral cymes.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

[0019] In the following description, color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 4^(th) edition, where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants were grownunder greenhouse conditions. Plants used for this description were grownfor about 17 weeks after cutting and produced in 11 cm pots. Other potsizes can be used and the plants are intended for indoor use or as abedding plant in temperate climates while it is a perennial garden plantin tropical and subtropical areas.

[0020]Botanical classification.— Euphorbia milii Desmoul. ‘Atlas’.Euphorbiaceae, Spurge family. Common English name: Crown of Thorns.

[0021]Parentage.—Female parent: Unnamed seedling plant Euphorbia milii.Male parent: Unnamed seedling plant Euphorbia milii.

[0022]Propagation.—

[0023]Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings taken from plants keptin the vegetative stage by shading and high temperatures (25 C).

[0024]Time to initiate roots.—About 10 to 14 days at 18 to 21 C intunnels in a greenhouse.

[0025]Root description.—Fine, well branched.

PLANT DESCRIPTION

[0026]Form.—Perennial plant with upright, cylindrical plant habit.Euphorbia milii flowers in cymes with cyathia subtended by coloredbracts.

[0027] Freely branching with about 8 lateral flowering branches formingat every node; dense and bushy. Stems are square to pentagonal withridges about 10 mm thick at basis. By each node appears double,vertically flat, rather stiff thorns 1 large, 12 mm; 1 smaller, 5 mm.Young thorns are yellow-green: 151A; while the older ones becomesstiffer and changes color to gray (199B).

[0028]Crop time.—After rooting, about 16-18 weeks are required toproduce finished flowering plants in 11 cm pots.

[0029]Plant height (soil level to top of plant plane).—About 18 cm.Width: 18 cm.

[0030]Vigor.—Moderately vigorous growth rate.

[0031] Foliage description: Leaves alternate, single, obovate shape,margin entire, craspedromous venation. Length: 7 cm. Width: About 20 mm.Apex: acute. Base: cuneate to almost decussatee Texture: smooth, waxy,dull., glabrous. Color: Young foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 137Band 146C, yellow-green. Mature foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 139Cand 146C respectively. Venation, 139B.

[0032] Flower description:

[0033]Flower arrangement and shape.—Floral arrangements composed ofcymes. The flowers (cyathia) are starkly reduced so only a ring of 5glands and the reproductive organs are present. Subtending the cyathiaare two colored bracts. The flowers are further complicated by theunique feature of funnel shaped floral buds appearing at the base of thebracts in two or more layers.

[0034]Natural flowering season.—Continuous throughout the spring andsummer in subtropical and tropical regions. In colder climates seasoncan be extended by greenhouse production with high temperatures andsupplementary irradiance.

[0035]Flower longevity on the plant.—5 to 9 weeks; longevity ofindividual flowers is highly dependent on temperature and lightconditions. Bracts turn green with age. Entire cymes drop afterwithering.

[0036]Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4×5 cm, height: 10 cm.

[0037]Flowers.—3 mm diameter, Bracts: overlapping at base, ovoid toinverted cordate 10×14 mm color from 158B, yellow-white at base andcenter, Margins 54C, red.

[0038]Glands.—5 from N25A shiny orange to 151B yellow-green duringdevelopment.

[0039]Anthers.—Appear after flowers mature; stamen colors: 186Cgray-purple to 165B gray-yellow, and pollen 15A, yellow-orange,

[0040]Pistil and stigma.—Appear before cyathia mature; color 1C,greenish-yellow.

[0041]Peduncle.—Strength: strong. Length: About 7 cm. Diameter: About 2mm. Color: 177A, gray-orange.

[0042]Pedicels.—1 cm long, 2 mm thick strong color: 177C, gray-orange.

[0043]Weather tolerance.—Plants of the new Euphorbia milii haveexhibited good tolerance to draught, rain and wind, however floweringmay cease during cold and dark periods (<15 C).

[0044]Pest tolerance.—Plants of the new Euphorbia milii have exhibitedgood tolerance to following fungi: Mildew, and Thivaliopsis. Also theyappear to be less infected by Thrips (Franklinellea).

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Euphorbia milii plant named‘Atlas’, as illustrated and described herein.